Sunday, May 19, 2013

A Marxist Margate

As people in Margate gathered to celebrate the opening of the fabulous new sea wall steps opposite the Turner Contemporary Gallery on Saturday afternoon, the big beasts of the national newspapers were packing-up their overnight siege equipment in a small road in Westgate-on-Sea and I had done a quick disappearing act to hide, rather unconvincingly, in the skies over Brighton.

This was the first marriage proposal of the season over Brighton Pier and even though one GoPro camera wasn't working, I was quite happy with the results as you can see below. If you should own the latest GoPro, then beware last week's software update which appears to reset the camera's wireless password. I only discovered this when I turned it on in the aircraft.

In the footsteps of last week's arguably disastrous Mary Portas, Ch4. television documentary and If you look at the sidebar, you'll see I'm experimenting with a different kind of branding for Margate outside of Tracy Emin's profound and insightful quote as a "Really Good Place for a ...."

I've a personal interest in Karl Marx and the irony isn't lost on me, sitting opposite several 'Marxists' in the Council Chamber. Marxist Margate, the web site I've created, I think, says it all and it's very much work under development, so don't expect great things. What I want to try and do is reinforce the battered image of the town, historically and intellectually in the public imagination, alongside the great work done by the Turner Contemporary; challenging the occasional sordid website and the prevailing derelict and fading seaside picture delivered by Mary Portas.

Margate is without doubt a seaside town of two compelling stories and one facing huge economic and social challenges. It also has a unique artistic and intellectual history and a wonderful coastline to celebrate. So perhaps I'm playing the part of the eccentric but the internet is a powerful tool and the more we present the positive and interesting side of the town, the more we are likely to benefit from tourism and visitors with a greater disposable income.

Karl Marx and political tourism is is huge for his home town of Trier in Germany and his burial place at Highgate cemetery in London. The Chinese, who I saw in great numbers in Prague recently, are great fans and we have an airport and a European shuttle service to Schipol from Manston on our doorstep. I think we should promote the fact that a global political figure of historical interest found peace and inspiration on his regular holidays to Margate and perhaps a commemorative blue plaque, Thanet District Council, might be a good start?

The BBC's Sunday Politics Show this morning and I'm wondering what they will present for their local story on UKIP and the County Elections and whether I'll appear sane in the rain, at best, if I have my fifteen seconds on camera alongside Col. Roger Latchford and Will Scobie. It always strikes me, that what one actually says in front of a camera is in sharp contrast with what one would really like to say but would be political suicide. Here's the BBC iPlayer link for later.

Spent many happy hours in a DC3 as a passenger, Aden Airways or RAF livery, up and down the route, Aden, Riyan, Salalah, Masirah. A distinctive engine sound, shame they are not allowed to carry passengers now, EEC rules.

Everybody shall have their fifteen seconds (nearly) of fame. That's inflation for you.

Simon was BLUE with cold, Will RED with embarrasment and Latchford purple with rage.

Why is it that Labour and Lib dems are allowed to speak without interruption while the Conservative Mark Reckless was constantly prevented from putting his point across by the interviewer and by the lady Lib Dem from Oxford. Looks like a tactic to me, if you prevent somebody from putting their point across then nobody will hear it. Or is it a Woman thing?

For the benefit of the troll whose comment I've just deleted, I do work for The Sun and the Daily Mail as well as Ferrari, the press agency. So you might reasonably think they were able to add 2+2 and be on the phone to me very quickly indeed.